Pipe Weight Calculator
Find the weight per foot and total weight of a pipe from its outside diameter, wall thickness, length, and material.
Reviewed by the ToolNestr Editorial Team — July 2026
Tip: use the true outside diameter. NPS 2" steel pipe is 2.375" OD; NPS 1" is 1.315" OD.
How the pipe weight calculator works
A pipe is a hollow cylinder, so its weight comes only from the ring of metal in the wall. The calculator finds the inside diameter by subtracting twice the wall thickness from the outside diameter, then takes the outside circle area minus the inside circle area to get the cross-section of that ring in square inches.
Multiplying the ring area by 12 inches gives the volume of metal in one foot of pipe, and multiplying that by the material density gives the weight per foot. The total is simply the weight per foot times the length. Because only the density changes between materials, a copper pipe weighs more than the same steel pipe, and a PVC pipe far less.
The one thing to get right is the outside diameter: use the true measured OD, not the nominal pipe size. Standard steel pipe up to 12 inches is named by an old nominal bore that no longer matches the real dimension — NPS 2 pipe is actually 2.375 inches across the outside. Enter the real OD and the standard densities do the rest.
Pipe dimensions and weight-per-foot figures follow ASTM A53/A106 for steel pipe and ASME B36.10M for standard pipe schedules and outside diameters.
Enter OD and wall
Use the true outside diameter and the wall thickness for your schedule.
Pick material and length
Choose the pipe material and enter how many feet you have.
Read the weight
See weight per foot and total weight in pounds and kilograms.
The formula explained
Inside diameter and area
For 2.375″ OD, 0.154″ wall: ID = 2.375 − 0.308 = 2.067″. Ring area = π⁄4 × (2.375² − 2.067²) = 1.074 in².
Weight per foot
= area × 12 × density = 1.074 × 12 × 0.2836 = 3.66 lb/ft — matching schedule 40 2″ steel pipe.
Total weight
= lb/ft × length. A 20 ft length: 3.66 × 20 = 73 lb.
Worked example
A 4″ steel pipe (4.5″ OD, 0.237″ wall) 40 ft long.
Where pipe weight matters
Supports and hangers
Pipe hangers, racks, and structural supports are sized to the filled pipe weight. The per-foot figure sets the spacing and the load each hanger carries.
Shipping and handling
Pipe is heavy and sold by weight. Knowing the total lets you plan freight, choose lifting gear, and check a delivery against the packing list.
Fabrication
Weld shops and fabricators quote and schedule work partly by material weight, and heavier schedules take more heat and time to weld.
Scrap and salvage
Old pipe sold as scrap is paid by weight and metal type, so an accurate estimate tells you what a load is worth before you haul it.
Real-world context
A 21 ft joint of 6-inch schedule 40 stainless steel pipe (6.625″ OD, 0.280″ wall) is a common item on an industrial piping takeoff. The ring area works out to π⁄4 × (6.625² − 6.065²) = 5.581 in², giving a weight per foot of 5.581 × 12 × 0.289 = 19.36 lb/ft. Over a full 21 ft joint that is 406.5 lb — a figure a rigging crew needs before deciding whether a joint gets set by hand or with a hoist.
At the other end of the scale, a 10 ft stick of 3⁄4-inch type L copper tube (0.875″ OD, 0.045″ wall) comes out to a ring area of just 0.117 in², or 0.45 lb/ft, for a total of 4.5 lb over the stick — light enough to carry an armful up a ladder, which is exactly why copper is the default for residential water lines run through joists and walls.
PVC sits in between in diameter but far below either metal in weight. A 10 ft length of 4-inch schedule 40 PVC (4.5″ OD, 0.237″ wall) has a ring area of 3.174 in² — larger than either the steel or copper example above — but because PVC's density of about 0.049 lb/in³ is roughly a sixth of steel's, the weight per foot is only 1.87 lb/ft, or 18.7 lb for the full length. That weight difference is why PVC drain and sewer lines can be run and supported with far lighter hangers than an equivalent cast iron line.
Common misconceptions
"2-inch pipe measures 2 inches across the outside." Almost never true. Nominal pipe size (NPS) is a naming convention, not a physical measurement — NPS 2 steel pipe actually has a 2.375-inch outside diameter, and the mismatch between nominal and actual size gets larger as the pipe gets smaller. Always measure or look up the true OD before running the numbers.
"A higher schedule number just means a bigger pipe." Schedule sets wall thickness, not diameter. Schedule 40 and schedule 80 pipe of the same nominal size share the same outside diameter — schedule 80 simply has a thicker wall and a smaller inside diameter, which is why it weighs more per foot and carries a higher pressure rating.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate pipe weight per foot?
Find the metal cross-section by subtracting the inside area from the outside area: pi/4 times (OD squared minus ID squared), where ID is the outside diameter minus twice the wall thickness. Multiply that by 12 inches and by the material density to get pounds per foot.
What outside diameter should I enter?
Use the actual measured outside diameter, not the nominal pipe size. For example, "2-inch" steel pipe (NPS 2) actually has a 2.375-inch outside diameter. Nominal sizes below 14 inches do not match the real OD.
Does schedule matter?
Schedule just sets the wall thickness for a given pipe size — a higher schedule means a thicker wall and more weight. Enter the wall thickness for your schedule and the calculator does the rest.
Can I use this for PVC or copper?
Yes. Pick the material and its density is applied automatically. The same geometry works for any round pipe; only the density changes between steel, stainless, copper, aluminum, cast iron, and PVC.
Sources & references
This tool uses standard formulas and reference values from:
- • American Concrete Institute — ACI 318, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete. concrete.org
- • ICC — International Residential Code (IRC), span, footing and framing tables. codes.iccsafe.org
- • APA – The Engineered Wood Association, allowable span and load guidance.
Estimates for planning only. Span, load and code values vary by jurisdiction — verify against your local adopted code and a licensed engineer before building.